Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-11-25
AGRICULTURAL.
botanical aud Experimental Garden
Of tsrns-es---Fiint's Grasses aud For-
nge Plants.

The Connecticut experiment station ha,
commenced a garden in which it is proposed
TO grow all the different species Of grasses
found in that state In addition To- the
grasses proper, it is designed that the gar.
den shall contain all kinds Of forage plants,
such as clovers vetchcs, lupines sedges.
etc. The station has now growing in the
garden eighty-one Of the 1870 species Of
grasses which have been described found
in Connecticut. In bulletin issued last
week the director Of the station, Prof S.
W. johnson, says
I'VE have reason to hope that there will
be a demand in this state for small collec-
tons Of useful land perhaps injurious plants
for exhibition at agricultural and industrial
fairs and for study 10y oranges farmers
clubs, and in our common schools, etc, and
that the station may shortly be able TO sup.
ply such collections This would be the
surest and simplest way to diffuse through
out the state a more exact knowledge of our
meadow and pasture grasses.
We believe that a better knowledge of
our Connecticut grasses, of their habits Of
growth and forage value, is one great need
of our agriculture But the first step TO
wards getting and spreading that knowledge
must be TO have names for our common
grasses which shall be So definite that no
one will misunderstood them, and which
shall not be so difficult and uncouth that in
telligent men will not use them. At pres
ent we have no such names in common use
among us. There are not more than four
or five grasses in this state whose common
English names are generally used through
out the state without confusing synonyms
which are also applied to other grasses.
These are timothy, red-top, June grass,
orchard grass, and sweet vernal grass.
Even red-tOp applies to two grasses very
different agricuturally, and June grass is
quite generally used without the knowledge
that it is identical with Kentucky blue
grass. Yet there are at least eleven i'm.
portant meadow grasses which are moved
in large quantity every year in the state,
and at least six others which are common
and valuable pasture grasses to say nothing
of a number of less common hut very useful
ones and of the sedges, some of which are
valuable"
No intelligent farmer should be content
to remain in ignorance Of the proper names
and the physical properties of the principal
grasses which he cultivates or which grow
upon his soil Yet it is rather rare to find
a farmer who is able to name correctly
more than half dozen species of grasses
The first requisite to the study of these plants
is a standard work of reference For the
general reader, as well as for those who
have some knowledge of botany, we know
of no better book than Grasses and For
age Plants, by Chas L. Flint. late secre-
tary of the Massachusetts State Board of
Agriculture new and revised edition Of
this work has just been published 10y Lee *
Shepard, 10 Milk street, Boston The book
has about 400 pages. 1t contains many il
Illustrations which, with the popular descrip
tions, will help one not versed in botany to
identify the species, while the synopsis of
the genera and the more technical descrip
tions will he appreciated 10y the botanist
About 225 species of the true grasses are
described, and about the same number of
grass-like plants belonging to the sedges
and PUSHES. Nearly all the plants which
have ever been used for forage, though
not belonging to either of these orders. are
also described A part of the volume treats
of the culture Of the common grasses and I.
forage plants. 1t is sent by mail, 10y the /.
publishers, for So